Born in the wild, the animal was one of a pair of pandas donated by Beijing to celebrate the second anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover in 1999.
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On average, giant pandas live between 14 and 20 years. An An, the oldest giant panda in captivity in the world, died Thursday July 21 at the age of 35, announced the Hong Kong Zoo, where the animal spent the majority of its life. An An’s health had deteriorated in recent weeks. His physical activity and appetite had declined sharply and he was eventually euthanized by veterinarians, according to a statement. The age of the panda is equivalent to a human age of 105 years.
Born in the wild in Sichuan, China, An An was one of a pair of pandas given to Hong Kong by Beijing to celebrate the second anniversary of the city’s handover from the UK in 1999. He and his girlfriend Jia Jia have spent the rest of their lives in Ocean Park. They were a venerable couple. Jia Jia held the Guinness World Records for oldest living panda and oldest living panda in captivity when he died aged 38 in 2016.
After Jia Jia’s death, his surviving companion led a rather solitary life – in 2021 he celebrated his 35th birthday alone with an iced fruit and bamboo cake, surrounded by several handmade birthday cards by the park staff. Pandas have difficulty reproducing, especially when in captivity. They are classified as “vulnerable” by the WWF, with 1,864 individuals living in the wild.